Informal Supervision (IS) is a voluntary program under which the Department of Family and Children's Services offers the provision of non-court, time-limited protective services to families whose children are in potential danger of abuse, neglect or exploitation, when the child can safely remain in the home and the family is willing to accept services and engage in corrective action. The agreement for Informal Supervision services may be initiated by a social worker or by the court. IS services may be offered if a child comes within or may soon come within the purview of the Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) § 300.

Though there is an Informal Supervision Unit whose social workers specifically carry IS cases, IS cases are also carried throughout the Department by social workers in Continuing Service Bureau Units, those at the South County Bureau, and those at the Family Resource Centers.

Assignment of IS cases is done through the DI Control Clerk and is based upon case load and language.

A new case is transferred to the IS unit with the following documents:

Transfer Case Summary Form (SC 409).

Informal Supervision Agreement (SCZ1649).

Draft petition.

The draft petition requires (WIC § 332[f]) a concise statement of facts, separately stated, to support the conclusion that the child is a person within the definition of each of the sections and subdivisions under which the proceedings are being instituted.

Cases that are transferred for Informal Supervision services from Emergency Response or Dependent Intake social workers are required to include a signed Informal Supervision Agreement (SCZ1649). The case must be received by the VFM social worker within 15 days of the initial face-to-face contact with the child by any DFCS social worker. If the case is not transferred in a timely way so that it will be received by the IS or Contiuing social worker within 15 calendar days of the first face-to-face contact with child by any DFCS staff, the referring worker completes the:

CAT - Continuing Services Tool and

CWS/CMS case plan

If a case comes to the IS or Continuing social worker with the IS Agreement and/or Case Plan, the social worker providing IS services may, after meeting with the family and assessing the family's situation, make changes to the Agreement or Case Plan. Any changes to the IS Agreement requires that the social worker providing IS services writes up a new Agreement with the parents and has them sign it. Any changes to the Case Plan requires that the social worker providing IS services updates the case plan in CWS/CMS. An updated Case Plan must have signatures of the social worker, the parents and the social work supervisor.

For every IS Agreement a draft of a petition is prepared that identifies the WIC § 300 and the allegations under which the petition could be filed with the Juvenile Court. Welfare and Institutions Code Section 332(f) requires that the petition include a concise statement of facts, separately stated, to support the conclusion that the child is a person within the definition of each of the sections and subdivisions under which the proceedings are being instituted.

The purpose of writing and reviewing the petition with the family is to clarify the basis of the IS services for the parents. It may serve as a tool for engaging the family in services. Ideally, the draft petition is reviewed with the family during a warm hand-off meeting with the ER or DI social worker and the social worker that will be providing the IS services. If a warm hand-off meeting cannot be arranged, the referring social worker who writes the draft petition should review the draft petition with the family. The social worker assigned to provide IS services should, again, review draft petition with the parents.

Informal Supervision services are offered for up to an initial period of 6 months. The social worker may request an extension of up to 3 months beyond the initial six months. To request the extension, the social worker must submit a memo with the request to his/her supervisor. The extension must be approved by both the supervisor and Social Services Program Manager. If the case is extended beyond the initial 6 month period, the social worker is required to update the Case Plan at the 6 month period.

Make an initial face-to-face contact with the family within five business days of being assigned the case.

Make weekly in-person contacts with the family for the first three weeks, after the case is assigned to the IS social worker.

Have in-person contacts with each child and parents a minimum of once a month, after the first three weekly in-person contacts.

The family may require more frequent visits, and it is left to the social worker to assess the need for additional contacts to assure that the family is meeting the service plan goals and that the child remains safe in the family home.

The standards are set in the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Division 31 - 320, for contact requirement between a social worker and a child who resides in the family home. The specific Division 31 contact requirements state that the social worker shall:

Visit the child at least three times in the first 30 calendar days, including the initial in-person response.

If the case plan is completed in the first 21 calendar days after the initial removal of the child or in-person response, the social worker shall be permitted to have less frequent visits, up to a minimum of twice in the first 21 calendar days.

Visit each child with an approved case plan who remains in the home at least once each calendar month.

If there are any concerns about the safety of the child and/or stability of the family, social workers carrying Informal Supervision cases are required to schedule a Joint Case Staffing or staff the case with there Social Services Program Manager (SSPM) when the parent(s):

Does not begin complying with the service plan within the first 30 days.

Ceases to comply with services at any time during the service period.

Does not complete the agreed upon services within the six months of IS services.

If, at any point in the service period, the parents' failure to comply with services results in a heightened risk to the child, and the child is assessed to be in immediate danger (exigent circumstances or warrant), the social worker has the option of:

Removing the child from the home, if the child falls under WIC § 300 (b) or (g) or

Requesting law enforcement assistance to remove the child from the home, if the child falls within any section of the WIC § 300.

Five months from the date the case was transferred to the social worker, the worker confers with all collateral contacts and the family to reassess the progress towards the Case Plan objectives and the current level of risk to the child(ren). At that time, the plan for the next service period is delineated. The possible actions include:

If, by the end of the fifth month of services, the social worker assesses that the case plan goals could be achieved with a few more months of services beyond the six months, the social worker writes a memo to the SSPM requesting a 30, 60 or 90 day extension of IS services. Any request for longer than 90 days requires a written request to the DFCS Deputy Director for approval.

Informal Supervision services are terminated when one of the following occurs:

The case plan objectives have been achieved and the child is no longer endangered.

The parent/guardian refuses continued services, and there is no present endangerment to the child.

The child reaches the age of 18.

The whereabouts of the child and/or family become unknown, and all efforts to locate have been unsuccessful.

If, at the point the family's whereabouts becomes unknown, the IS social worker had raised concerns about the child's safety, the IS social worker consults with the unit supervisor to discuss the possible filing of a protective custody warrant.

The child dies of causes not related to child abuse, with additional siblings in the home.

The maximum time allowed by State regulations is completed.

If the situation has not been ameliorated after nine months of services, schedule a Joint Case Staffing for consultation and recommendations.